Jonathan Smith Previews Spring Practice
3/18/2024 8:15:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith held a press conference on Monday to preview his first spring practice leading the Spartans.
MSU begins spring practice on Tuesday, March 19, and will practice for five weeks before hosting the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20 at Spartan Stadium.
Coach Smith Transcript (Monday, March 18)
Excited to get started tomorrow. We'll go five straight weeks. Feels like a long time coming, to get to working with these guys on the field. I know they're excited. We had a team meeting that just finished up, going over a couple of things, and then it all begins tomorrow, and then we'll see what it looks like. We've got some work to do. Excited to dive into it with these guys. Guys are excited to get on the field and compete, but also improve from practice one to practice 15.
On the offseason…
I do think they did a great job in the weight room, starting early in January. Solid months of work, getting into shape, bigger, stronger, faster, prepping their bodies for the wear and tear of what spring ball looks like. Communication – just knowing each other better over the past couple of months. I think it's in a good place there. And this is kind of next in the progression, start working on the football side.
On what he knows about his players now heading into spring practice…
I feel confident that football means a lot to these guys. They've been in the offices, they want to get to know these schemes and they're working really hard at it. So I know that about this group – football means a lot. So now, being able to practice with them and go, they're anxious to show that athletically, but they've have shown to me a deep desire for football.
On his excitement level for the first day of practice…
I'm eager to just kind of learn what it's like out there. This is why I chose to coach, is to truly coach, and get on the field with them and watching them interact and compete and learn and grow. So I'm looking forward to that part. I know that I'm going to learn from practice one to practice 15, just like we're asking them to improve 1 to 15. It's gone fast (since his arrival). This is the next progression for me personally now to be able to get on the field with them.
On the new-look quarterback room and getting off to a fast start with these first few spring practices…
It's really important, obviously for every position group, but you mentioned that one (quarterbacks) in particular. It's important to get adjusted, so much communication, just even for the simple call the play in the huddle, read the signal, that part is vitally important early on so we can function at a high level. Those guys have been working hard now. Meeting, getting around Coach (Brian Lindgren), trying to learn as much as they can on this offense, so I'm anxious just to see them go tomorrow.
On Aidan Chiles…
Starting with the type of person he is – he is a great person. He is a guy that guys like to be around, they enjoy his temperament. Again, football means a ton, but he doesn't take it too seriously. I think he's fitting in really well. And really that whole room itself, the QB room, again, I go back to the work ethic, they've been working at it. Aidan does got some advantage, he knows the terminology already, so I'm excited for him, being a first year player last year, to taking another step in year two, and then the leadership will come through because of his understanding and his comfort level with the scheme but also his experience. And he understands it's not just about him, it's about the guys around him and the other QBs in the room.
On Aidan Chiles trying to help others understand the scheme…
With the offensive side, yeah, four or five (staff) know the offensive scheme in and out because they have been working together. We do have three players on offense that know this scheme; tight end with (Jack) Velling and Tanner (Miller) at the o-line (in addition to Aidan Chiles). I have been impressed with the guys that have been here a year or two, and I go back to how much they love football, because they've been trying to dive into it. We have some experience at the linebacker position, with Cal (Haladay) and that group, and the inside linebackers, being in (Joe) Rossi's office nonstop and diving into it. I could go on and on, but I think it's a group that loves football and is anxious to continue to learn and dive into it tomorrow.
On his ideal teaching progression for spring practice…
I think in this year one, your approach is going to be a little bit smaller at it, not throw it all at them at once, because you are trying to evaluate and see what we've got. So you throw the whole thing at them, it's hard to evaluate each individual position if they're thinking the whole time, so the approach, especially in the first half of spring, will be smaller bits, then maybe normal.
On his relationship with defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, and how much autonomy does he have on defense…
Starting out, where it started with Joe, is just his reputation, calling around, other guys that have worked with him, worked under him, repeated the same type of things: quality person, really smart, knows the scheme inside and out, knows the conference really well. So those things have all played out true on my end. Our communication I feel like has been great.
He's got some real autonomy on that side of the ball. We've got some big picture items that need to fall under, but hired him to do a job, and he's been great in regards to leadership, I think communication amongst that defensive staff, because there's some new pieces for him on that side, and I feel he's really organized and ready to go tomorrow.
On what he can apply to his situation at Oregon State to Michigan State…
I think you're always learning from every experience. Previously, first time head coach, you learn a bunch in your first couple of years, definitely applying some of the things I've learned through that experience. Being new to a place, didn't recruit the locker room, been through that experience, so we're applying some of that. Trying to work to build some trust, learn some stories, because we didn't go through a year or a two year recruiting process with these guys, and so we're trying to make gains that way, and I learned that, from the first time doing it.
On fitting the scheme to the personnel versus the personnel to the scheme…
That's a big part of it, and that goes back to trying to keep it a little simpler early on, to be able to evaluate the skill and the talent you got, and then you want to have the scheme, to make sure it fits the talent we've got. I think, on both sides of the ball, learning on the defensive side too, we've got enough in the package to be able to focus on the talent we've had. We have to find that out this spring where our strengths are and what we need to improve on.
On trying to improve the running game and the play from the tight ends…
We're going to try to establish being physical at the line of scrimmage. That goes into the run game, but also in the way we pass protect, it's really all 11 players playing physical. And you mentioned the o-line and tight end, yeah, those guys want to make the thing physical, and I think we have some guys in the room that want to do the same thing.
On if it would be an upset if Aidan Chiles wasn't the starting quarterback in the fall…
I'd describe it as an upset if he's not. Again, we're going to give opportunities to those guys to go out and compete and get reps and all of those things.
On if Aidan Chiles is ready to take on the starting role…
We're going to find out here, starting tomorrow. We're confident, I think, in Aidan and his progression and where's he's headed. We feel confident that he can be a really good player. I look at Tommy's (Schuster) experience and what he's done at another place for a long period of time (North Dakota), he has some proven experience of doing it. And there's reasons why we recruited the other kids (Ryland Jessee and Alessio Milivojevic) to give them the opportunity to become the guy.
On the overall health of the roster…
I'll be general with it. There's definitely some guys in a limited fashion; still working their way back. Overall, I feel pretty good on the state of injuries that we'll have a majority of those guys out there going.
MSU begins spring practice on Tuesday, March 19, and will practice for five weeks before hosting the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 20 at Spartan Stadium.
Coach Smith Transcript (Monday, March 18)
Excited to get started tomorrow. We'll go five straight weeks. Feels like a long time coming, to get to working with these guys on the field. I know they're excited. We had a team meeting that just finished up, going over a couple of things, and then it all begins tomorrow, and then we'll see what it looks like. We've got some work to do. Excited to dive into it with these guys. Guys are excited to get on the field and compete, but also improve from practice one to practice 15.
On the offseason…
I do think they did a great job in the weight room, starting early in January. Solid months of work, getting into shape, bigger, stronger, faster, prepping their bodies for the wear and tear of what spring ball looks like. Communication – just knowing each other better over the past couple of months. I think it's in a good place there. And this is kind of next in the progression, start working on the football side.
On what he knows about his players now heading into spring practice…
I feel confident that football means a lot to these guys. They've been in the offices, they want to get to know these schemes and they're working really hard at it. So I know that about this group – football means a lot. So now, being able to practice with them and go, they're anxious to show that athletically, but they've have shown to me a deep desire for football.
On his excitement level for the first day of practice…
I'm eager to just kind of learn what it's like out there. This is why I chose to coach, is to truly coach, and get on the field with them and watching them interact and compete and learn and grow. So I'm looking forward to that part. I know that I'm going to learn from practice one to practice 15, just like we're asking them to improve 1 to 15. It's gone fast (since his arrival). This is the next progression for me personally now to be able to get on the field with them.
On the new-look quarterback room and getting off to a fast start with these first few spring practices…
It's really important, obviously for every position group, but you mentioned that one (quarterbacks) in particular. It's important to get adjusted, so much communication, just even for the simple call the play in the huddle, read the signal, that part is vitally important early on so we can function at a high level. Those guys have been working hard now. Meeting, getting around Coach (Brian Lindgren), trying to learn as much as they can on this offense, so I'm anxious just to see them go tomorrow.
On Aidan Chiles…
Starting with the type of person he is – he is a great person. He is a guy that guys like to be around, they enjoy his temperament. Again, football means a ton, but he doesn't take it too seriously. I think he's fitting in really well. And really that whole room itself, the QB room, again, I go back to the work ethic, they've been working at it. Aidan does got some advantage, he knows the terminology already, so I'm excited for him, being a first year player last year, to taking another step in year two, and then the leadership will come through because of his understanding and his comfort level with the scheme but also his experience. And he understands it's not just about him, it's about the guys around him and the other QBs in the room.
On Aidan Chiles trying to help others understand the scheme…
With the offensive side, yeah, four or five (staff) know the offensive scheme in and out because they have been working together. We do have three players on offense that know this scheme; tight end with (Jack) Velling and Tanner (Miller) at the o-line (in addition to Aidan Chiles). I have been impressed with the guys that have been here a year or two, and I go back to how much they love football, because they've been trying to dive into it. We have some experience at the linebacker position, with Cal (Haladay) and that group, and the inside linebackers, being in (Joe) Rossi's office nonstop and diving into it. I could go on and on, but I think it's a group that loves football and is anxious to continue to learn and dive into it tomorrow.
On his ideal teaching progression for spring practice…
I think in this year one, your approach is going to be a little bit smaller at it, not throw it all at them at once, because you are trying to evaluate and see what we've got. So you throw the whole thing at them, it's hard to evaluate each individual position if they're thinking the whole time, so the approach, especially in the first half of spring, will be smaller bits, then maybe normal.
On his relationship with defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, and how much autonomy does he have on defense…
Starting out, where it started with Joe, is just his reputation, calling around, other guys that have worked with him, worked under him, repeated the same type of things: quality person, really smart, knows the scheme inside and out, knows the conference really well. So those things have all played out true on my end. Our communication I feel like has been great.
He's got some real autonomy on that side of the ball. We've got some big picture items that need to fall under, but hired him to do a job, and he's been great in regards to leadership, I think communication amongst that defensive staff, because there's some new pieces for him on that side, and I feel he's really organized and ready to go tomorrow.
On what he can apply to his situation at Oregon State to Michigan State…
I think you're always learning from every experience. Previously, first time head coach, you learn a bunch in your first couple of years, definitely applying some of the things I've learned through that experience. Being new to a place, didn't recruit the locker room, been through that experience, so we're applying some of that. Trying to work to build some trust, learn some stories, because we didn't go through a year or a two year recruiting process with these guys, and so we're trying to make gains that way, and I learned that, from the first time doing it.
On fitting the scheme to the personnel versus the personnel to the scheme…
That's a big part of it, and that goes back to trying to keep it a little simpler early on, to be able to evaluate the skill and the talent you got, and then you want to have the scheme, to make sure it fits the talent we've got. I think, on both sides of the ball, learning on the defensive side too, we've got enough in the package to be able to focus on the talent we've had. We have to find that out this spring where our strengths are and what we need to improve on.
On trying to improve the running game and the play from the tight ends…
We're going to try to establish being physical at the line of scrimmage. That goes into the run game, but also in the way we pass protect, it's really all 11 players playing physical. And you mentioned the o-line and tight end, yeah, those guys want to make the thing physical, and I think we have some guys in the room that want to do the same thing.
On if it would be an upset if Aidan Chiles wasn't the starting quarterback in the fall…
I'd describe it as an upset if he's not. Again, we're going to give opportunities to those guys to go out and compete and get reps and all of those things.
On if Aidan Chiles is ready to take on the starting role…
We're going to find out here, starting tomorrow. We're confident, I think, in Aidan and his progression and where's he's headed. We feel confident that he can be a really good player. I look at Tommy's (Schuster) experience and what he's done at another place for a long period of time (North Dakota), he has some proven experience of doing it. And there's reasons why we recruited the other kids (Ryland Jessee and Alessio Milivojevic) to give them the opportunity to become the guy.
On the overall health of the roster…
I'll be general with it. There's definitely some guys in a limited fashion; still working their way back. Overall, I feel pretty good on the state of injuries that we'll have a majority of those guys out there going.
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